powerplay
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2008
- Messages
- 1,608
I'm sorry for your loss and hope you take the time needed to heal.
A postscript on this: called SS today and the first appointment I can get by phone is December 14! I asked specifically about when the payments would be effective and he said when I did get the first installment it would cover December. My guess, though, is that I'll get it in 2017, when I have a darn good chance of it getting taxed since I'll be filing as a Single and have lots of taxable investment income. Nasty, but nothing I can do about it. I'm sure there are other widows whose biggest worry is not tax issues, but how to get by between the time when the husband's last SS payment was received and the time Widow's benefits are first deposited. I'm glad i have the former problem.
No questions about DH's previous marriages, thank heaven. I would have applied on-line if it hadn't been for all those intimidating blank spaces.
on the SS site itself it seems to say that widows benefit can begin any time after the age of 60..but drawing before FRA will result in a reduction of the benefit amount. It also says you can switch to your own benefit between 62 and 70 which seems to suggest there is not an age penalty, and then immediately says the rules for this are complicated so you should talk to an SS spokesperson.
Keep in mind some of the recent rule changes were grandfathered in to not effect people closer to FRA. I don't know what the law is, I was just asking if you were sure it wouldn't have an unintended negative effect on you.
Thanks. I know I'll get a penalty for not waiting till FRA to collect Widow's benefits (I'm 63) but I'm OK with that. I just want to make darn sure my own benefits will continue to grow and it's worth a face-to-gave discussion to verify that. I'm in the group that could have filed for Spousal benefits at FRA and let my own benefits grow, but that no longer applies to me.
A postscript on this: called SS today and the first appointment I can get by phone is December 14! I asked specifically about when the payments would be effective and he said when I did get the first installment it would cover December. My guess, though, is that I'll get it in 2017, when I have a darn good chance of it getting taxed since I'll be filing as a Single and have lots of taxable investment income. Nasty, but nothing I can do about it. I'm sure there are other widows whose biggest worry is not tax issues, but how to get by between the time when the husband's last SS payment was received and the time Widow's benefits are first deposited. I'm glad i have the former problem.
No questions about DH's previous marriages, thank heaven. I would have applied on-line if it hadn't been for all those intimidating blank spaces.
I filed for SS benefits on my late DW's account when I retired at 63. I will switch to my account at 70. That is the way I understand it works. If you find out differently, please let us know. My thinking was to file on her benefits as soon as possible because it would only be for a fairly short time so waiting for a larger amount would not make up the money foregone.
I'm more like that. I had a good cry today over all the kind comments from everyone I know on FaceBook, but a couple of days of wallowing in grief would drive me crazy. We're all different. I'm not opposed to getting professional help if I decide I need it but right now I'm functioning pretty well.
Somehow I felt better- the Ex was a deadbeat, it did not end well, and DH and I were a match made in heaven.
Done! Thanks for the nudge I needed to just get in the car and go over there. It was about a 10-minute wait to get to the "triage" window and then he told me it could be 30-45 minutes to get to someone who would process the application. I said I'd wait. Good thing I didn't go out for coffee. My name was called about 10 minutes later.
She ran the numbers on my Ex's records to see if I could get a higher benefit from him (divorced in 1997 after 13 years, he died in 2010) and she said it was close, but DH's was a little higher. Somehow I felt better- the Ex was a deadbeat, it did not end well, and DH and I were a match made in heaven.
The paperwork I have says specifically that I am not applying for benefits on my own record, that I'm letting them accrue and that if I want benefits on my own record I have to come back and file for those. Perfect. I'm getting $1,900 in Survivor benefits but will get $3,500 on my own record if I wait till age 70!
No questions about the second ex-wife since it was a short marriage and she's deceased. I provided what info I had about the first ex-wife and I think she was able to find her in the records but some of the details didn't sound right, Didn't affect my claim anyway- she said the marriage lasted less than 10 years and that may be true- DSS was 8 when they divorced.
I should get the first payment next month. Looking forward to it.
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I should get the first payment next month. Looking forward to it.
Done! Thanks for the nudge I needed to just get in the car and go over there. It was about a 10-minute wait to get to the "triage" window and then he told me it could be 30-45 minutes to get to someone who would process the application. I said I'd wait. Good thing I didn't go out for coffee. My name was called about 10 minutes later.
She ran the numbers on my Ex's records to see if I could get a higher benefit from him (divorced in 1997 after 13 years, he died in 2010) and she said it was close, but DH's was a little higher. Somehow I felt better- the Ex was a deadbeat, it did not end well, and DH and I were a match made in heaven.
The paperwork I have says specifically that I am not applying for benefits on my own record, that I'm letting them accrue and that if I want benefits on my own record I have to come back and file for those. Perfect. I'm getting $1,900 in Survivor benefits but will get $3,500 on my own record if I wait till age 70!
No questions about the second ex-wife since it was a short marriage and she's deceased. I provided what info I had about the first ex-wife and I think she was able to find her in the records but some of the details didn't sound right, Didn't affect my claim anyway- she said the marriage lasted less than 10 years and that may be true- DSS was 8 when they divorced.
I should get the first payment next month. Looking forward to it.